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Countries with the highest Homicide rate

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Honduras, home to about 8.25 million people, has by far the highest homicide rate of all countries in the world. Its unparalleled average rate of 90.4 murders per 100,000 people means that in this country, almost every 1,000th person is killed. Since Honduras is a popular holiday destination, tourists often targeted as victims of various violent crimes.

2. Venezuela

Located on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela has been known as one of world´s major oil exporters but also as a country with pervasive and unusually high occurrence of homicides. Last year, only 19% of local residents felt safe when walking alone at night and they had a good reason for that – every year, more than 50 people out of 100,000 are killed in Venezuela and the number has been constantly growing over the last decades. 80% of Caracas’s residents live in slums

3. Belize

With an area of 22,800 square kilometers (8,800 sq mi) and a population of about 340,000 people, Belize is the least densely populated country in Central America. But despite its amazing natural beauties and wildlife, this country is far from being a good place to live. Enormous homicide rate of almost 45 murders per 100,000 people makes Belize one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The homicides are particularly frequent in the Belize City district where, in 2007, for example, half of all that year´s murders occurred.

4. Guatemala

With a population of almost 16 million, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. With an average of about 100 murders committed every month, Guatemala has ranked as the country with the 5th highest homicide rate in the world. In the 1990s, for example, the city of Escuintla had an annual rate of 165 murders per 100,000 people.

5. El Salvador

Deeply affected by the long-term and devastating civil war (1979 – 1992), El Salvador is a Central American country and a home to about 6.3 million people. The extremely high homicide rate in this country is marked by significant occurrence gang-related crimes and juvenile delinquency. In 2004, for example, as much as 60% of the murders committed in Salvador were carried out by local gangs competing for power and territory.

6. Jamaica ( Most violent BMC)

Occupying an area of 11,000 square kilometers (4,250 square miles), Jamaica is another representative of the Caribbean. For many years, the country has been notorious for having one of the world´s highest homicide rates and the latest statistics by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has confirmed that. The murders and violent crimes are particularly frequent in large cities such as Kingston, the capital.

7. Swaziland (Most violent country in Africa)

Swaziland also has a high proportion of murders relative to its small population, 33.8 per 100,000 in 2012. Voters queue to cast their votes for parliament at a voting station in Nhlangano, Swaziland, Sept. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Mongie Zulu)

8. Saint Kitts and NevisAP

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a high proportion of murders relative to its tiny population, 33.6 per 100,000 in 2012. The actual number of homicides recorded was 18. An aerial view of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, Sept. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, file)

9. South Africa (Second most violent country in Africa)

South Africa is still one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but it has almost halved its murder rate in recent decades. In 2012, South Africa’s homicide rate stood at 31 per 100,000 people, compared to 64.5 per 100,000 in 1995.

10. Colombia

As Colombia struggles to end a 50-year internal conflict, the murder rate in the country remains high, at 30.8 per 100,000 in 2012.